‘Game of Thrones’ actor Jack Gleeson addresses rumours about acting hiatus

Jack Gleeson finally addressed the rumours surrounding his acting break after his portrayal of the cruel King Joffrey Baratheon in the HBO series Game of Thrones.

In conversation with TheHook on the House of Guinness red carpet premiere, the 33-year-old actor refuted claims that he quit acting due to the backlash he received from netizens.

For context, Gleeson’s portrayal of Joffrey was met with ‘hate comments’ by fans as he was a villain in the show who did cruel things to the main characters.

When asked by the interviewer why he took a break from acting, the Batman Begins star replied, “Well, I can say thankfully it wasn’t because I received any sort of abuse from anyone.”

Gleeson added that he understands how people can confuse the character with the actor. He explained, “After Game of Thrones, I continued to act, but it was with a theater company I had set up with some friends in Dublin.”

He admitted that after some time, he started to miss screen acting, so he came back. Notably, his first proper role after the series was in the 2023 film, The Land of Saints and Sinners.

Afterwards, he appeared in TV shows like Sex Education, The Sandman, and The Famous Five, among others. His recent appearance is in the 2025 biographical drama House of Guinness.

Who does Jack Gleeson play in ‘House of Guinness’?

Jack Gleeson plays Byron Hedges, who is an illegitimate member of the Guinness family. 

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